40 UNDER 40 EUROPEAN YOUNG LEADERS – Marseille seminar

19 May 2016 - 04:00 - 22 May 2016 - 03:00

Introduction

The ‘40 under 40’ European Young Leaders programme led by Friends of Europe is a unique, inventive and multi-stakeholder programme that aims to promote a European identity by engaging the continent’s most promising talents in initiatives that will shape Europe’s future.

The European Young Leaders represent a promising European leadership from all over the continent and with a wide variety of backgrounds including politics, business, civil society, academia, arts, science and the media. The 2015-2016 class of European Young Leaders was selected by a jury headed by Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister.

Amidst the backdrop of a refugee crisis and recent attacks in Brussels and Paris, this seminar will have a special focus on integration and migration. Until last year, the arrival in Europe of migrant workers from elsewhere has been comparatively slow and manageable, and required no comprehensive policy response from national governments. This crisis, in stark contrast, is so overwhelmingly large that it demands a ‘Grand Strategy’ at EU, national, regional and local levels with the involvement of all.

The seminar will offer fresh and innovative solutions to the broad range of issues resulting from the mass arrival of refugees in Europe and will seek to make up for the current lack of action at EU level. As a symbolic bridge between the European Union and the Arab world, Marseille is the perfect host city, having good examples both of success stories and of radicalisation cases.

DAY 1 - THURSDAY, 19 MAY

Europeans are waking to the scale of the refugee crisis, but the EU and its member governments have yet to forge credible responses. Tensions across Europe, from Greece to Germany to Sweden, demand realistic and comprehensive EU-wide policies ranging from social integration to job creation, but the first step will be to change the narrative shaping public opinion from threat to asset. What role should private sector employers and entrepreneurs play to speed aging Europe’s integration of refugees?

Marseille is both a melting pot and a simmering stew, being both religiously and racially diverse. It is home to one of Europe’s largest Muslim as well as Jewish populations along with a wide range of different nationalities. While boasting a greater tolerance and social harmony than Paris or Lyon’s, Marseille is facing new strains as the National Front’s popularity grows. Are there lessons here for the rest of Europe?

Introductory remarks by Philippe Pujol / Journalist and 2014 Laureate of the Albert Londres Prize for his series of articles Quartiers shit on the northern districts of Marseille

Moderated by Mary Fitzgerald / Libya Analyst and Foreign Affairs Correspondent at the Irish Independent & 2013 European Young Leader

Joined by Gilles Bertrand, Head Teacher of the Second Chance School, and a dozen apprentices from the school

DAY 2 - FRIDAY, 20 MAY

09.30 – 11.00 THE MENA DIASPORA'S POTENTIAL FOR EUROPE

The potential of the Middle East and North Africa diaspora in Europe has not been adequately explored in terms of building relations in the Mediterranean neighbourhood. From the Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan and Lebanese diasporas in France and other EU states to the large Libyan diaspora in the United Kingdom and Ireland, there are young entrepreneurs, business people, academics, activists and artists who straddle both worlds and can play a role in deepening links and informing policy on a range of issues including economic development in the southern neighbourhood, countering extremism and facing the refugee challenge.

European Young Leader contribution by Karima Delli / Member of the European Parliament

Moderated by Ghezali Rabah / Director for European Legislative Affairs, European Government Affairs and Public Advocacy at NYSE Euronext & 2013 European Young Leader

Joined by Janette Uhlmann / Senior Operations Officer at the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI)

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 13.00 COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

The recent attacks in Brussels and Paris have brought the issue of violent extremism in Europe into sharp focus. How responsible are host countries for radicalisation and the creation of ‘home grown’ terrorism, given that local shortcomings on education, housing and employment opportunities combine with EU nations’ foreign policy positions? Can Europe balance the protection of civil liberties with rapidly evolving security challenges it faces and win the battle of ideas?

European Young Leader contribution by Boštjan Videmšek / War Reporter at Delo

Moderated by Jamila Aanzi / Member of the Advisory Board at BKB & 2014 European Young Leader

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 – 16.30 BREAKOUT WORKING GROUPS - KNOWLEDGE-SHARING

These breakout working groups offer an unusual opportunity for European Young Leaders and other guests to engage in a multi-stakeholder dialogue to exchange best practices and experiences. They seek to encourage open discussions and critical engagements through testimonials and knowledge-sharing from cities, businesses and entrepreneurs. The aim is to identify policy solutions suited to immigrant communities and refugee concentrations around the EU.

Introduced by Wouter Verschelden / Founder and Publisher at NewsMonkey & 2014 European Young Leader

Topics:

Connection between pop culture and integration

Housing policy and labour market in cities

Media’s role in the migration and refugee crisis

Use of new technologies to help refugees

Obstacles to employment for refugees and migrants

Future development of the European Young Leaders programme

DAY 3 - SATURDAY, 21 MAY

10.00 – 12.00 BREAKOUT WORKING GROUPS - UNCONFERENCES

Aiming to move from talk to action, the unconferences’ agenda promotes fresh thinking and creative solutions. European Young Leaders and other guests are invited to initiate discussion on new topics or suggest concrete actions regarding refugees’ and migrants’ integration in Europe. Concrete pledges and action-oriented commitments coming out of the discussions will be shared among the full group and disseminated through our broader network with the aim of creating global change.

What do a microbiologist, an entrepreneur, a journalist and a Member of Parliament have in common? They are all European Young Leaders who are engaged in making Europe a global champion for a better world.

Brussels is not Europe, and the discussions that take place here are far from representative of the issues that concern many of Europe’s citizens. Governments across the world are struggling with this disconnect as citizens show an increasing lack of trust in politics and politicians.